


Two Worlds, One Family

by Delphine_Le_Dauphin



Series: Welcome to the Masquerade [5]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Gen, Goro Is Not A Bad Guy, Group Hugs, Inspired by Tangled (2010)'s reunion scene, M/M, Spoilers, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-24 01:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9693527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delphine_Le_Dauphin/pseuds/Delphine_Le_Dauphin
Summary: Goro feels nostalgic for something he doesn't have anymore, and Akira gives him something he wished he had.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For whoever watched “Tangled”, remember that scene near the end when Rapunzel is reunited with her parents and they hug while Flynn looks on, only for Rapunzel’s mother to offer him her hand and pull him in the group hug when he takes it? 
> 
> I did, and when that happened I thought two things:  
> 1) “Man, I wish something like that happened in the ending of Persona 5 with Akira and his parents!”  
> 2) “Goro deserves a scene like that!”
> 
> So I put these two ideas together, and voila, this came out. Hope you like it :)
> 
> Cross-posted with my main Tumblr account: delphine-le-dauphin.tumblr.com
> 
> Declaimers: I don’t own the characters or the franchise this story is based on. If I owned the game, things would have gone totally different. I don’t write for money, just for the pleasure of sharing my stories with you all. 
> 
> The title's taken from the homonymous song from 'Tarzan'.
> 
> P.S. Akira's parents in this story, Wataru Endo and Kasumi Kurusu, are my OCs that I came up with for my Tumblr blog (delphine-le-dauphin). For more info about them, read this post: https://delphine-le-dauphin.tumblr.com/post/154158150506/akiras-parents

Was it possible to feel nostalgia for something that he had barely had in the first place (but dearly wished he had)?

That’s what Goro Akechi couldn’t help but think as he watched the scene in front of his eyes, barely aware of the longing, nostalgic look in them.

Akira Kurusu (his first friend, his first love), fresh out of juvenile hall, all wrapped up in his parents’ arms, eyes closed and a soft smile on his lips, the perfect ‘all right with the world’ expression on his face.

After a round of greeting and thanking his friends reunited at Cafe Leblanc to welcome him back, Akira had found himself face to face with his mother. While mother and son stared at each other in silence, as if pondering their next move, Goro had taken his time to take a good look at the two of them. While he had noted from the beginning how much Kasumi Kurusu resembled her son, with the two of them this close the resemblance was even more evident. While Kasumi’s hair were long, light-colored and straight and her eyes a warm hazel color, her soft facial features, round eyes, pointy nose and full lips were identical to Akira’s, their resemblance made even greater by the fact they were both wearing glasses (although Goro could tell that, unlike Akira, who wore glasses for purely aesthetic reasons, Kasumi really needed her glasses to see, judging by the way she kept squinting her eyes to regain focus whenever her glasses would slip down her nose).

On the other hand, Akira’s own messy black hair and dark grey eyes were clearly an heritage from his father (who had stood on the side, observing the ‘interaction’ between his ex-wife and only son with a tense look), even though they looked positively tamed when compared with Wataru’s thick mass of unruly curls.

A long, tense moment passed before Kasumi’s lips curled in a smile and she took a step towards Akira with her arms outstretched, wrapping them around her son’s neck to pull him close, and Akira had hesitated only a moment before wrapping his own arms around his mother’s waist and resting his forehead against her shoulder, eyes closed as he basked in the act of maternal affection he’d been deprived of ever since the ‘accident’ that brought him to Tokyo in the first place.

Only then Wataru’s tense expression had melted into one of pure love and adoration and he had taken the few steps necessary to join the hug, wrapping his arms around both his ex-wife and son as he rested his chin on top of the latter’s head, effectively ‘trapping’ him in the middle of what could only be described as the ultimate family group hug.

And that had been the sight that had caused Goro’s heart to melt and ache at the same time, because while he felt genuinely happy for Akira, he also couldn’t help but feel… nostalgic, as if a nearly empty space in his chest were throbbing painfully, missing something that had barely been there to begin with.

Because while it was nearly impossible to feel nostalgia for something one had barely had, it was more than possible to feel nostalgic for something one wished to have. And the feeling was even stronger and more painful when that something was right in front of you, within arms’ reach but untouchable.

Goro bit his bottom lip, feeling the telltale prickle of tears threatening to spill from his eyes, and he snapped his eyes shut, trying to calm himself down. When he reopened his eyes, seconds later, Akira was looking at him expectantly from above his mother’s shoulder, eyes shining from behind his glasses; he had removed one of his arms from around his mother’s waist and was holding it out to Goro.

Confused as to why Akira was offering him his hand, Goro took it slowly, hesitantly, feeling as if he was distracting him from fully enjoying his family’s warmth after a long time. He only had time to feel (and appreciate) how Akira’s hand felt warm even through the leather of his glove before he found himself nearly losing his balance as the black-haired teen got a good grip on his hand and pulled him forward, making him collide with the group hug he was the center of. Before he could try and pull away, or even start wondering what on earth was going on, hands and arms were moving and shifting until Goro found himself enveloped in the hug as well, front pressed close to Akira’s side and forehead resting against his temple.

“What the…?” he started to ask, but Akira just turned his head slightly to nuzzle at his cheek, a soft “Shhhh” leaving his lips. _'Just shut up and enjoy it, question time is for later'_ , said the affectionate nuzzle and soft whisper.

And Goro, heart now throbbing with a different emotion, one that made him feel warm and aching at the same, allowed himself to bask in the wonderful feeling of finally belonging, not caring that the others were watching and only vaguely aware there was something hot and wet running down his cheeks.

He pressed his forehead against Akira’s temple, a silent _'thank you'_ that meant more than anything else he ever said in his whole life.

_'I won, old man. In the end, there was something you didn’t manage to take away from me.'_


End file.
